* NPR Illinois…
After a summer of stalemate on major energy and climate legislation that seeks to put Illinois on the path to 100% renewable energy by 2050, the Illinois House on Thursday night finally pushed through a compromise set to get approval from both the Senate and Gov. JB Pritzker.
The Senate, which passed its own version of legislation to the House last week in an attempt to break three months of gridlock, is set to return to Springfield on Monday — the same day nuclear giant Exelon set as a strict deadline for state action to prevent the closure of its power plant in Byron, near Rockford.
* WBEZ…
The long-stalled green-energy measure, which earlier had pitted labor unions against environmentalists, now moves to the state Senate with backing from Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and, according to sponsors, could mean an increase in residential electricity bills of roughly $4.50 per month for an average residential customer.
If the legislation reaches Pritzker’s desk as anticipated, it arguably would represent the single biggest legislative accomplishment for the first-term governor who in 2018 campaigned on a green-energy platform and is ramping up his 2022 re-election bid. […]
Thursday’s vote represented the first big legislative test for new Democratic House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, who assumed power in January after his predecessor, Democrat Michael Madigan, was driven from office by fallout from the Commonwealth Edison lobbying scandal.
“What we have done here today is monumental, and it should be celebrated, not castigated. It’s historic, and it will positively impact people in each and every one of our districts,” Welch said during a fiery floor speech in support of the bill.
“Our climate cannot wait. Climate change is going to cost us more if we don’t act now. Climate change is costing homeowners right now because of the spike in insurance after every flood and every tornado in each of our districts,” Welch said. “I’ve had the ‘100-year flood’ in my district every three years. Insurance is through the roof because the climate is changing.”
It’s a start, yes. But it will take regional, national and global action to make a real dent.
* Capitol News Illinois…
“This is what legislating is supposed to look like,” House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, said in closing floor debate. “It’s about good faith negotiating. It’s about advocating for the interests in our districts back home. And it’s about compromise in order to arrive at a product that benefits people in your districts, and ours.”
Environmental groups extolled the decarbonization language, which aims to take coal, gas and other carbon-emitting power plants off the grid between 2030 and 2045, depending on the energy source and ownership structure.
Union groups praised the bill’s language requiring that all major renewable construction projects must have project labor agreements in place to hire union labor, while non-residential projects, with few exceptions, would be required to pay a prevailing wage.
Republicans, meanwhile, warned of losses of downstate jobs, substantial consumer bill increases and potential grid reliability issues as fossil fuel plants are forced offline, although it passed on a bipartisan roll call.
I would remind you that Prairie State went neutral on the final language.
* Sun-Times…
State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said “this is a bad bill.”
“It’s not about clean energy,” McCombie said. “It’s about renewable energy. This is not pro union, this is not pro family. This is not pro clean energy. This is extortion.”
Rep. McCombie then voted for the bill.
* More Sun-Times…
The bill ends the controversial formula rate system and transitions to a “performance-based” system that will be overseen by the Illinois Commerce Commission for utilities that serve more than 500,000 customers.
It also requires the commerce commission to investigate how ratepayer funds were used in line with with actions by ComEd that were detailed in a deferred prosecution agreement involving the utility. That investigation could result in refunds to residential ratepayers.
The bill also requires utilities to establish the position of a chief ethics and compliance officer who must submit annual reports to the ICC.
* Reuters…
The United States has 93 nuclear reactors, more than any other country, but that’s down from 104 in 2012 as aging plants struggle to compete with power generated by solar and wind farms and plants that burn natural gas.
Gina McCarthy, President Joe Biden’s climate adviser, has said maintaining some of the existing nuclear plants is “absolutely essential” to hit U.S. goals to decarbonize the electric grid by 2035 and the administration has supported federal incentives for the nuclear industry.
* A motion to reconsider was filed, but, c’mon, it’s not going to slow down anything. It was meant to preempt opponents from trying to take it hostage…
a motion was filed that could slow down the bill’s journey to the governor’s desk.
* CWLP was also neutral…
But by saving thousands of northern Illinois jobs in nuclear plants, the bill would result in the loss of more than 1,000 jobs by the premature closure of coal-fired plants operated by City Water, Light and Power in Springfield and at the Prairie State Energy Campus in southern Illinois, opponents said.
* Tribune…
The proposal also faces opposition from business groups, including the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, largely over the potential cost for commercial and industrial power customers.
“Passing this legislation in its (current) form is going to eliminate one of Illinois’ biggest advantages,” Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said at Thursday’s hearing.
The current low cost of power in Illinois helps attract and retain businesses, Denzler said.
* Crain’s…
But consumer advocacy groups said the bill was still too generous to Exelon, the parent company of ComEd. The bill gives ComEd and Ameren “a new formula ratemaking scheme that is likely more profitable to them - and costly to consumers - than current formula rates,” Illinois PIRG Executive Director Abe Scarr told legislators at the executive committee hearing today. “ComEd’s guaranteed profits will grow to over $1 billion annually when new rates go into effect in 2024,” up from a projected $800 million next year.
Republicans shared a range of concerns: that changes would not adequately replace coal-burning power and only force Illinois to turn to other states for consistent energy needs, that the bill was a giveaway to Exelon, and that more jobs would be lost than gained in the wind and solar industries.
Not picking on Crain’s at all, but it’s always fascinating when reporters ignore the odd and even goofy arguments made by key players during debates.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 10:23 am:
“But it will take regional, national and global action to make a real dent.”
For sure. Illinois by itself isn’t going to reduce extreme heat, global forest fires, more severe storms, etc. The world needs act, and some countries are doing so.
Biden and other national Democrats made climate part of their agenda and have to deliver in a big way. They can look at the Illinois climate bill as a model for cooperation and compromise.
Hopefully our climate bill can be a model for other states, like social equity marijuana legalization is (license problem notwithstanding). In that way we are leaders.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 10:24 am:
Exelon’s share price has gone up 20% since it tanked following the collapse of talks in the regular session. It’s at its 52 week high today.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 10:26 am:
The “I’m not worried about having grand kids, I got grand kids” argument is going to take me a few days to fully process. That should be in a story all by itself with follow up interviews. It is a version of the “I got mine already” argument that could forever be used to illustrate that emotional response to reform efforts by keenly demonstrating the limitations.
- Nick - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 10:26 am:
This is a pretty good win for Welch.
I dont know if I agree with calling it the biggest Legislative achievement of Pritzkers first term as WBEZ has. But it’s the biggest of this session by far.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 10:32 am:
===Exelon’s share price has gone up 20%===
This has always been about the upcoming split.
- Blueman - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 10:46 am:
Ignoring the odd/goofy arguments is how Republicans gets away with everything! They are just too silly to take seriously! No that’s who they are. Print it. Also, letting McCombie off on printing her statement but not calling her out on the vote is ridiculous. The press needs to do so better.
- Donnie Elgin - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 10:54 am:
“This is what legislating is supposed to look like,”
Leader Welch is sure wearing rose-colored glasses on this one. Leading a supermajority party and yet still waiting till the absolute last minute to ensure that critical energy sources stay open is hardly something to be proud of.
- 1st Ward - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 11:03 am:
When should consumers expect to see the higher bills…2024? Is the ~$5 increased phased in? Also, seems odd we are increasing the renewable energy fee on all to subsidize tesla and solar panel purchases for the wealthy few.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 11:21 am:
===waiting till the absolute last minute===
Most people file their taxes on April 15. It’s human nature. Not optimal, but it is what it is.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 11:22 am:
===Leading a supermajority party and yet still waiting till the absolute last minute to ensure that critical energy sources stay open is hardly something to be proud of.===
You forgot bipartisan.
Just an oversight I’m sure…
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 11:35 am:
So does this passing help any of the criminal defendants in the ComEd cases?
Cause it looks to me like the legislature is perfectly capable of giving out huge bailouts to the utilities even without Madigan’s influencing or being influenced by anyone.
- Nick - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 11:41 am:
To be fair to Welch he wasn’t exactly “in charge” of this until what, a few weeks ago?
The can was kicked to him, and now he’s actually managing to get it over the finish line, I’d say thats a good W on his part.
- King Louis XVI - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 11:42 am:
–Cause it looks to me like the legislature is perfectly capable of giving out huge bailouts to the utilities even without Madigan’s influencing or being influenced by anyone.–
Is this you, Mike?
- Donnie Elgin - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 11:46 am:
“You forgot bipartisan”
There were two sides lobbying strongly on this bill, there was a spirited debate - but it was
unions vs enviros.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 11:50 am:
===There were two sides lobbying strongly on this bill, there was a spirited debate - but it was
unions vs enviros.===
… and bipartisan by the Democratic Speaker.
- Ok - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 12:10 pm:
People are going to struggle to figure out what to do with all their free time now.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 12:18 pm:
===People are going to struggle to figure out what to do with all their free time now. ===
And fill up faxes.
- Southern Skeptic - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 12:26 pm:
Just guessing, but I’m sure everyone will get hard to work on the next energy bill.
- anon2 - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 2:03 pm:
I’d like to hear Rep. McCombie’s explanation for voting for a “bad bill” that is “extortion.”
- Boris - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 2:14 pm:
CWLP’S neutral stance could be the fact that their own 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) which recommended closing Dallman 1,2,3 also stated that Dallman 4 could be uneconomical to operate further in as little as 5 years (2024) and would need further study then. Dallman 4 will likely be closed well before 2038, regardless. Interesting that Rep Butler and Murphy voted no and used their lame “jobs” justifications for his no vote when this is all pretty much common knowledge.
- Southern Skeptic - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 2:48 pm:
“CWLP’S neutral stance could be the fact that their own 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) which recommended closing Dallman 1,2,3 also stated that Dallman 4 could be uneconomical to operate further in as little as 5 years (2024) and would need further study then. Dallman 4 will likely be closed well before 2038, regardless. Interesting that Rep Butler and Murphy voted no and used their lame “jobs” justifications for his no vote when this is all pretty much common knowledge.”
That and the fact that Dahlman 3 was struck by lightning months ago and forced to close early. Not likely they’ll ever restart that unit.
- Going nuclear - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 3:05 pm:
= Biden and other national Democrats made climate part of their agenda and have to deliver in a big way. They can look at the Illinois climate bill as a model for cooperation and compromise. =
I don’t see the Illinois climate bill being used as a model for a national initiative. Too many moving parts that are specific to the state. I think we need something simpler like a price signal (e.g., carbon tax) that would affect all goods and services and steer economic actors towards a low-carbon future.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/09/08/opinion/carbon-tax-is-key-addressing-climate-crisis-carbon-dividends-could-get-congress-support-one/
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Sep 10, 21 @ 3:49 pm:
“I don’t see the Illinois climate bill being used as a model for a national initiative.”
As a model for Democratic progressives and centrists to work out their differences and pass Biden’s agenda.